At the top of the April 30 online Daily Report, was an item on the death of an airman at Minot AFB, N.D. SrA. Richard Allan Gallelli Jr., 22, died April 29 from injuries sustained when a weapons training dummy struck him in the head during loading practice with a B-52 bomber. Gallelli had served at Minot with the 17th Munitions Squadron for about three years. (See Airman Dies at Minot for more, including other news reports and the initial Minot release.)
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
